Shaker-type dispensers



May 24, 1960 N. F. CORNELIUS 2,937,793

SHAKER-TYPE DISPENSERS Filed March 29, 1957 I NVENTOR. M50 FCU/Q/YEZ/US mz mmw United States Patent 2,937,793 SHAKER-TYPE DISPENSERS Nelson F. Cornelius, 10334 Mississippi Blvd., Coon Rapids, Minn.

Filed Mar. 29, 1957, Sr.-N0. 649,367

3 Claims. -(Cl. 222-189) This invention relates to dispensers;and more' -particumaterial such assalt, sugar and the like.

Most conventional shaker dispensers constitute a een- -tainerwith a-narrower open top havingexternally 'ferined screw threads adaptedto engage corresponding-threads 'formed internally of a narrow perforate cap. Thereand clogging of the' upper portions of the shaker, particularly when granulated material of hygroscopidnature "is-to be dispensed therefrom. Further, the 'screw threads and cooperative threaded portions of the cap member are such'as to promote accumulation of cake material rendering the dispensers subject to frequent cleaning.

Some conventional shaker dispensers are provided "with wide open tops and perforate cap members which provide closures substantially for the width of the container. :Such containers are relatively easyto 'clean'arid'provide a relatively larger dispensing area through the perforate cap. However, such dispensers usually require less shaking and agitating for dispensing and, hence, "are more easily subject to internalcaking of salt, sugar and other "granulated or powdered material which may be'subject :to caking in the presence of moist air.

It is within the contemplation of the present'invention and a general object thereof to provide a shaker dispenser "wherein the cap and container are'so construetedas to promote" easy dispensing of gradulate materialsplaeed in the container 'while minimizing cakingor collectingbf .the material at the inner surface of the eontainerand in and around thecap portion. I g

Another object of the invention is to provide animproved' shaker-type dispenser in whichthe eap'closareis {readily removable from the container or body poragsn of the dispenser to facilitate cleaning andrefilling of 'the container.

A further object of the invention is'to'fprovide a 'dis- I penser having a cap and container structure with an operative releasable fastening means'not requiring a screw thread arrangement, but'accornplished through simple and uncomplicated members which are pleasing in appearance' and easy to clean and otherwise handle.

tion will more fully appear fromthe following'descrip- ;tion,"rnade in connection with the accompanyin'g'drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my shaker-type dispenser showing the perforate cap in constantly biased relation with the container;

lady to shaker-typedispensers-for granulated-or powdered stricted nature of such containers promote the 'caking 2,937,793 Patented May 24, 1960 I *Figure 2-is a vertical'section taken 'on'the' lin'e"-2--2 of of Figure 1, showing the interrelation of thefastenirig means with the cap and angulated'areas of the container member;

Figure'3 is a top view of the dispenser shown in Figure 2, a portion of the cap being cut away to show theposition of the biasing member within the rolled edge ofthe p;

Figure 4 is a vertical section of an alternate form of a shaker-type dispenser wherein a largeperforate cap is constantly biased downwardly by fastening means-contacting angulated side'portions of the containeratsofnewhatdifferent areas; and a Figure 5 is a bottomvie'w of the'cap member of 'the alternate form showing the relaxedposition ofthespring fastening means. v

With continuedreference to the drawingymy sha kertype'dispenser is shown in perspective in "Fig. land constitutes generally a container body 1'0,- and"a cap -or cover 11. The container body It), in turn, hasaclosed base 12 and upstandingrwall structure 13 which isnarrowed at 14 and is again enlarged to form an open top 15. The upper peripheral edge 16' of the container 10 is smooth and continuous and definesthe open top 15. The'entire container ltl'may be symmetrical about an axis so as to present a' circular'cross section at any vertical'height and is so formed as to produce 'a lower'enlarged chamber 17,'an interconnecting passageway 18 and'anenlarged upperjchamber 19, all as shown'in Fig.

"certain opposed surface areas onthe side wall structure 13 which are oppositely 'angled'with respect to'the axis'br longitudinal center line of the container which passes through the base 12 and the open'toplS. In'thefoi'm of the invention'shown in Figs. 1-3 the opposed-.oppesitely angled surface areas are formed at 20 externally of the upstanding wall structure 13 anda'djacent'the' upper terminal edge 16 of the container 10. The'ext ernalj surface 21 immediately above the oppositely angledsurfaee areas 20 provides a ridge or'rump about the'up'per portion of the container 10 so that a closure maybe sna ped thereover when the dispenser is'put into use. I

The cap or cover 11 provides the closure-andis constructed-of material such asrigid sheet metal with a medial -area 22 perforated as at 23'to provide outlet openings for "granular or powdered material intended to beplac'ed within the container 10. The medial area 22 merges into-a continuous margin 24 which is adapted to lie in close continuous contact with the upper terminal edge 16, as

shown in Fig.2, and to prevent any granular material-or powder from escaping between the cap 11 and the upper portion of container 10. V

The cap 11 is further provided with a downwardly and inwardly rolled peripheral edge 25 which lies closely adjacent-the external surface 20which has opposed'iar'eas angulated oppositely with respect to the axis or "lon- -gitudina1 center lineof container 10. Withi'n the rolled peripheral edge 25 ofcap or cover llis placeda C- spring 26 shown in -;;detail in F ig '3" and inserted into the 'rolled edge 25 by collapsingslightly. When the co'ver'=1 1 is placed in contact'with the top of container 10 and pressed downwardly thereon, the C-spring 26 snaps over the external ridge 21 and comes to rest in inwardly biased relation, pressing in converging relation the opposed angulated surface areas 20 and thereby exerting a camming action which constantly biases the annular cover area 24 in its contact with the upper peripheral edge 16 of container 10.

It will be observed that no threaded fastening means has been employed and the cover may be simply snapped away from the container top to expose completely all the areas of both the cap and container for easy cleaning. At the same time, the advantages of the wide open top have been preserved and the narrowed body structure also has been preserved so as to aid in preventing internal calring of the material disposed therein.

In the alternate form of invention shown in Fig. 4, the cap 27 is constructed generally in the same conformation as cap 11 with the rolled edge 28 terminating closely adjacent the external upper surface 29 of container body 30. The upper external surface 31 of the container, however, may be virtually straight and without the oppositely angled surface areas mentioned in connection with the first form of the invention. In the alternate form, however, the internal surface of the container 30 provides the camming effect at areas 32 lying in oppositely angled relation with respect to the axis of the container body, as shown in Fig. 4. The cap 27 is provided with a different type of gripping or fastening means wherein divergently biased depending blades 33 are secured to the underside of cap 27 and have contacting areas 34 smoothly rounded to provide biasing engagement with the angulated opposed areas 32. When cap 27 is snapped into place, the biasing engagement of blades 33 will pull cap 27 downwardly and cause the annular area 35 of cap 27 to engage the upper peripheral edge 36 of container 30.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the container 30 is circular in configuration, at least at the upper portions thereof so that blades 33 may exert a scraping effect upon any caked material which may collect upon the inside walls of the container adjacent the top. To effect such scraping action, the cap or cover 27 is merely forcibly rotated with respect to the container 30, the contacting areas 34 all the while maintaining their biasing engagement with the downwardly and outwardly angulated opposed areas 32 at the inner surface of container 30.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A shaker-type dispenser for sub-divided solid material comprising, an open top container having a base and an upstanding annular wall, said wall having an inner surface tapering convergently upwardly from the base to an intermediate restricted waist, and flaring divergently upwardly from the waist, and having an annular continuous substantially horizontal sealing edge at the upper end thereof, the diameter of the inner surface of said wall at the upper extremity thereof being greater than the diameter of the inner surface of said waist to thereby define an expansion chamber between the waist and the open top, said expansion chamber being larger in diameter throughout its length than the diameter of the inner surface of said waist, a cap member constructed of sheet material and having a substantially horizontal annular marginal portion for seating and sealing against said continuous sealing edge and having a multiplicity of discharge apertures throughout its area, a plurality ofsimilar elongate, resilient gripping members aflixed to sa d cap and depending symmetrically therefrom and lying closely adjacent the inner surface of said wall, said members being biased outwardly towards said inner surface and each member having an outwardly protruding gripping element adjacent the lower end thereof, said elements bearing symmetrically against the inner wall surface below said waist to continuously and uniformly exert a downward component force on said annular marginal portion of the cap against said annular sealing edge to thereby maintain the sealing relation therebetween.

2. A shaker-type dispenser for sub-divided solid ma terial comprising, an open top container having a base and having a circular side wall upon the base, said wall having an inner surface tapering convergently upwardly from the base to an intermediate restricted waist, and flaring divergently upwardly from the waist and terminating in an encircling sealing edge, the diameter of the inner surface of said encircling edge being greater than the diameter of the inner surface at said waist to thereby define an expansion chamber between the waist and the open top, said expansion chamber being larger in diameter throughout its length than the diameter of the inner surface of said waist, a cap member constructed of sheet material and having a substantially horizontal annular marginal portion on the underside thereof for seat ing and sealing against said encircling'sealing edge and having a plurality of discharge apertures throughout its area, a pair of similar elongate, resilient gripping members aifixed to said cap and depending symmetrically therefrom, said members being disposed in opposed spaced relationship and lying closely adjacent the inner surface of said wall, each of said members being biased outwardly toward said inner surface and each member having an outwardly protruding gripping clement adjacent the lower end thereof, said elements bearing symmetrically against the inner wall surface below said waist to continuously and uniformly exert a downward component force on said annular marginal portion of the cap against said encircling sealing edge to thereby maintain the sealing relation therebetween.

3. A shaker-type dispenser for sub-divided solid material comprising, an open top container having a base and an upstanding annular wall, said Wall having an inner surface tapering convergently upwardly from the base to an intermediate restricted Waist, and flaring divergently upwardly from the waist, and having an annular continuous substantially horizontal sealing edge at the upper end thereof, the diameter of the inner surface of said wall at the upper extremity thereof being greater than the diameter of the inner surface of said waist to thereby define an expansion chamber between the waist and the open top, the expansion chamber being larger in diameter throughout its length than the diameter of the inner surface at said waist, a cap having a plurality of perforations therein and also having a marginal portion seated upon the upper edge of the wall in sealing relations therewith, a plurality of resiliently flexible blades afiixed to the cap and depending symmetrically therefrom along said inner surface and biased outwardly towards said inner surface, said blades having lower end portions protruding. outwardly against the inner wall surface at a position between the waist and the base to continuously urge said cap downwardly and retain the cap in sealing relation on the edge, whereby the expansion chamber provides space into which fragments or chunks of material may move in a mushrooming manner as the chunks are shaken through the waist into engagement with the cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 78,858 Bounds June 16, 1868 755,967 Thiele Mar. 29, 19.04 1,083,320 Daly Jan. 6, 1914 2,198,858 Brenneman Apr. 30, 1940 

